Flight + 5 nights hotel

Barcelona’s highlights

Blend city living, intriguing architecture and friendly people with a beautiful coastline and you get a small taste of what Barcelona’s about. Be enticed by the huge number of things to do, from cycling around the sights to lazing on the beach.

Find cosmopolitan shopping areas, unique dining and incredible nightlife, Barcelona is a fantastic choice for city breaks. Spend your days sightseeing and your nights embracing exquisite Catalan cuisine and eclectic entertainment. Each area has its own character and history, like the Roman remains of Barri Gòtic or Eixample’s links to the Modernista movement.

Sightseeing

Stroll along La Rambla – a ritual well worth observing. Visit Passeig de Lluis Companys, the Arc de Triomf and the Parc de la Ciutadella. Feast your eyes on Gaudi’s masterpieces, like Casa Mila or his most treasured building, La Sagrada Familia – a spectacular sight in the evening. Make sure to hike up Montjuic, for breathtaking views and a well-deserved beer.

Delicious food

Find something for all tastes in Barcelona’s abundant restaurants – from endless tapas and pinxho bars to Catalan bistros, food is high on the agenda. Visit Sagardi in El Born, which brings Basque cuisine to the table, or head to the famous Boqueria Market to enjoy simple fresh fish and meat dishes. Those in the know head to Zero KM, which sources all food from no further than 100km outside Barcelona.

Art, galleries and museums

Find incredible street art in La Barceloneta and El Born, see surrealist architecture in Eixample, and find an array of museums and galleries in El Raval and Barri Gòtic. Learn about Barcelona’s history at Museu de la Catedral, see modernist art at the Fundacio Joan Miró, and the Picasso Museum’s vast collection is one of the most complete in the world.

Shopping galore

Barcelona’s markets, boutiques, and department stores are very eclectic – find some of the best shopping in Europe. Visit exclusive high-end boutiques on Via Laietana, try the vintage shops in El Raval, or find a pair of bargain shoes in the Born-Ribera district before stopping for lunch in a local bar. Especially good is La Boqueria Market, which is both a visual and culinary treat.

Bars and nightlife

Chic cocktail lounges and cheap bars share the same street in Barri Gòtic or lose yourself in the cool bars of Gracia, beyond Eixample, and don’t forget that the Spanish tend to go out a bit later. El Born and El Raval are very hip, and you’ll find a more international crowd around the Port Olimpic – especially The Coconut Club.

Barcelona: a city by the beach

Enjoy a city break with a difference along Barcelona’s fantastic 4.5km coastline. Combine the morning’s sightseeing with an afternoon at the beach. Barceloneta is an area worth exploring, and is close to the best beach. Rent out surf equipment, or if you are feeling lazy, buy a couple of beers from the local shop. Hire a bike, pack a picnic, and relax in the sunshine.

Our recommended Barcelona Experiences

Book your Barcelona sightseeing tours before you go.

Explore Barcelona at your own pace

See the sights and visit Barcelona’s top attractions with the Barcelona discount card.

Enjoy a wineries day trip

Visit Barcelona’s hillside theme park

Catalan classics in Barcelona

Catalonia has some of the best cuisine in the world, and was voted European Region of Gastronomy 2016. Sample locally-sourced seafood, cheese, meats and wine on a tour of the city, or venture into the countryside to find out more about this diverse and sustainable region.

Pa amb tomàquet (pan tumaca)

This delicious combo of bread rubbed with tomato, garlic and salt, then drizzled with olive oil, is a staple in Barcelona. The locals don’t understand why you would use anything else. The perfect accompaniment to local cheeses and selections of cured meats (embutidos), you’ll find it everywhere. Try it at Barcelona’s oldest wine bar, La Vinateria del Call in the Barri Gòtic, where you can enjoy delectable jamón from Vic and manchego from Girona, alongside some of the finest wines from the region.

Calçots

Calçots are a seasonal dish, served during the late winter and early spring, where green onions are uprooted and chargrilled to perfection. Served with a mouth-watering Romesco salsa (nut and red pepper sauce), this is an unashamedly messy dish. Unique to the Catalan region, Calçotadas often take place outside Barcelona in the farm restaurants dotting the hillside and are a lot of fun. However, the traditional Restaurante Carmen in Sants, is a great place to try them in the city – washed down with a full-bodied local red wine.

Esqueixada

A Catalan speciality, esqueixada de bacalao is an unbelievably tasty salad made from shredded salt cod, black olives, tomatoes and onion, with a simple oil and vinegar dressing. One of the best places to try it in Barcelona is the fantastic Bar Cañete, a cosy family-run bistro in El Raval. Traditional Catalan cuisine is their forte, and you will no doubt enjoy everything on the menu, but especially this delicious shredded fish salad. This dish goes perfectly with, you guessed it, pa amb tomàquet and a nice glass of cava.

Cava

Speaking of cava, Catalonia is famous for its vineyards and around 95% of Spain’s cava, known colloquially as xampany, is bottled in the region. When it was first produced it was left to age in caves, hence the name, and can be enjoyed in many bars across Barcelona. El Xampanyet in El Born serves cheap cava and amazing Catalan tapas amid elegant but humble surroundings, since 1929. Alternatively, just outside the city you can visit wineries in the Alello region’s vineyards and sample cava and other local wines at the source, alongside incredible views of the coastline.

Crema Catalana

Catalan cream, a dessert similar to crème brûlée, is perfect for that end of the night treat – with coffee or a glass of ratafia (a fine digestive liquor). Egg custard flavoured with cinnamon, vanilla and orange zest, is burnt with caramel creating an unforgettable sweet you will want to eat every day. Head to La Rambla’s famous Pastelería Escribà to try one of the city’s best, plus you’ll get to see one of the finest art nouveau façades in Barcelona, which was overseen by Ros I Güell in 1906.